Good morning, Santa Barbara.

The Hong Kong Orchid Tree is featured as February’s Tree-of-the-Month, showing vibrant magenta blooms and unique butterfly-like leaves in local street plantings and at Alice Keck Park Memorial Garden.

Sponsored by Santa Barbara Beautiful, it celebrates centuries of horticultural heritage + expert propagation techniques.

SBCC will host a Financial Aid Fest on Wednesday, Feb.

25, at Santa Barbara City College's East Cliff Campus (Memorial Plaza, adjacent to the Student Services Building) from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. to help students complete FAFSA and CADAA forms before the March 2 deadline.

The Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara honored six senior student artists at Fess Parker Winery (Los Olivos) on Feb.

12 after their participation in the Santa Ynez Valley Art Scholarship Competition at Santa Ynez Valley Union High School. Each winner received a college scholarship of either $3,000 or $3,500.

Coastal Intelligence, a Santa Barbara AI think tank, will host a Nonprofit AI Workshop Feb.

26 to 27 at the CEC Hub (1219 State St.) to help local nonprofits learn new technology.

The California State Lands Commission held two meetings on Thursday at (Goleta City Council Chambers) to gather public input on decommissioning 30-year-old Platform Holly and its potential impacts on marine life; comments continue until March 6 as the draft environmental impact report is prepared for final review in early 2027.

The state legislature is set to discuss AB 1624, a stopgap measure (co-sponsored by Rep. Hart) that would prevent the sale of federal lands for private developments, keeping local parks and trails open for everyday use.

Central Coast Commission for Senior Citizens vacated its license to distribute state aging funds on Jan.

28 due to financial mismanagement—an outstanding balance of $318,628 contributed to the decision. The state Department of Aging is working with local partners to ensure older adult services in Santa Barbara continue through the transition.

Boys volleyball teams from Bishop Diego, Dos Pueblos, and Laguna Blanca battled in the Bishop Quad Saturday at the Brick House, with Dos Pueblos beating Laguna Blanca.

Laguna Blanca lost both matches and will host Cate for the Tri-Valley opener Thursday at 5 p.m.

On Saturday, UCSB men's basketball lost 78-75 in overtime to Hawai'i at their home court.

Colin Smith led with 19 points while Coach Joe Pasternack said the team must fight in three remaining games as they stayed tied for fourth in the Big West.

Westmont Women’s Basketball rallied for an 84-78 win over Dominican at Murchison Gymnasium on Saturday afternoon.

The Warriors overcame a first-half deficit with Jazmyn Shipp and Mariah Brown leading the charge and now hold sole possession of second place in the PacWest standings ahead of upcoming conference games.

Santa Barbara High girls water polo lost 11-5 to La Serna in the CIF-SS Div.

2 Championship game on Saturday at Mt. San Antonio College — the Dons ended their season at 26-9 after a 2-2 tie in the first quarter saw La Serna pull away in later play.

Bishop Diego beat Godinez 48-42 in the Division 5 semifinal and will face Burroughs of Burbank in next weekend’s finals.

Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour

7-10 p.m. — Arlington Theatre — $26 General Public / $18 Youth / $15 UCSB students — Experience thrilling outdoor adventure films at a larger-than-life scale, showcasing the best mountain adventures.

Bored Teachers Comedy Tour

11:30 a.m. – 9:30 p.m. — Arlington Theatre — Check venue for pricing — Enjoy an uproarious comedy night with the 'Teachers Off Duty' Podcast stars.

La Chupitos Comedy and Mariachi Show

7-9 p.m. — Arlington Theatre — Tickets available — Experience a vibrant fusion of Mexican comedy and mariachi music featuring La Chupitos and the Grammy-winning Mariachi Divas.

Candlelight: The Best of Hans Zimmer

6:15-7:14 p.m. — Music Academy of the West — Tickets required — Experience the enchanting music of Hans Zimmer in an intimate candlelit setting.

Kyle Watson Live Performance

9:00 p.m. — EOS Lounge — $12.36 — Experience Kyle Watson's unique blend of house music with rolling basslines and punchy grooves.

Nachle Deewane 2026

4:30-7:30 p.m. — Arlington Theatre — Proceeds aid South Asian charities — Experience a vibrant annual Bollywood-fusion dance competition featuring teams from across the country.

March 2026 Area Meeting

6-8 p.m. — The Community Arts Workshop — Free entry — Engage in an open forum of critiques and insights from local artists while enjoying a keynote from ceramicist Erin Smith.

St. Patrick's Day in Ireland

7:30-9 p.m. — Lobero Theatre — Ticket information not provided — Celebrate Irish culture with music, dance, and high-energy performances from champion dancers.

California Agave Symposium

8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. — Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort — $125-$350 — Network with industry leaders and explore the future of California's agave industry.